Product Description

"A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School" is a gastronomic journey through the year with a personal introduction for each season, highlighting Darina's garden and landscape achievements as well as to record the changing scenery of Ballymaloe and which produce are at their peak. Darina offers simple seasonal recipes for first courses, main courses, vegetables and desserts, taking advantage of her local produce, whether it is from one of her favourite fishermen for her Pan-fried Scallops with Beurre Blanc, the surrounding countryside for her Blackcurrant Leaf Sorbet or her bountiful organic garden for a Frittata with Oven-roasted Tomatoes and Summer Herbs. More than just another cookbook, this book focuses on creative new ways to prepare and present meals, while inspiring readers to grow, harvest and delight in good quality produce.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #413836 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

About the Author
Darina Allen is Ireland's best-known food ambassador and award-winning author of Irish Traditional Cooking, the best-selling Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery Course and Healthy Gluten-free Eating (with Rosemary Kearney) and her latest book, Easy Entertaining. She co-founded the world-renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, Ireland. She is also a tireless campaigner for local produce, setting up Ireland's first Farmers' Market. She was winner of the 2005 International Association Culinary Professionals 'Cooking Teacher of the Year' award.

Customer Reviews

Seasonal and traditional cooking from County Cork
Review by Henrietta Green April 2007

Darina Allen has a deserved reputation as an ambassador for Irish food, champion of Irish farmers markets and a great teacher and communicator.

In her latest book, she returns to her much-loved cookery school at Ballymaloe, near Cork in Ireland. Set in organic gardens and with its own farm, the Ballymaloe Cookery School uses much of its own produce in the classroom that provides the base for seasonal recipes throughout the year. Other ingredients are sourced locally from surrounding producers, many of whom we meet throughout the book.

Darina's style is to use these quality ingredients to create dishes with flair. The recipes have been tried and tested at the school and enjoyed and devoured by eager students. In fact, many are expanded with extra notes including what makes them special to teach to the class. There's also a good `Basics' section that guides you on pastry, stocks and sauces, the special Ballymaloe salad dressing and flavoured oils and jellies.

She also shares her wide knowledge of Irish history and folklore. In the bread chapter, you'll find recipes for Irish wheaten and soda bread with the advice to never forget to cross the top of the loaf, `to let the faeries out' or the loaf will be jinxed.

So even if you don't have access to the bountiful harvests at Ballymaloe, you can easily recreate the recipes using the best of the season from your own garden or farmers market.